House tailored quickly and easily: Turnkey construction using the Design and Build method

 

To clarify what the entire construction process entails. A large number of professions work on a complex project that must function as a whole. Each party has its own interests, and ultimately, money plays the main role. Imagine you want to have your car repaired. But instead of all tasks being carried out by mechanics in the service, you have to drive to specialized places for each individual part separately. Someone fixes the windows, someone fixes the lights, someone fixes the doors… When the windows stop working, the mechanics will blame the incorrectly installed doors. You call the door service - they respond that there are bad windows. You are simply in a dead end from which there is no way out, costing you nerves and especially money.

One company takes responsibility

The traditional construction model, fundamentally similar to the example above, is that the investor acts as an intermediary between architects, designers, and suppliers. In the Czech Republic, this model can be replaced by a fairly widespread procedure that came to us after the fall of the Iron Curtain from the West - turnkey construction. At least partially, you avoid the issue of resolving problems between the parties involved yourself, and it allows you to assign the engineered architectural design to one general construction company, which is responsible for all subcontractors.

Why only partially? You find yourself in the middle of "having something on paper" and "what is actually built." Even with turnkey construction, disagreements can arise between designers and the construction company, with both parties blaming each other for the resulting problem. Is it a fault in the project, or was the project right and the company executed it poorly?

"Water will leak into the roof, and the construction company will say ‘We followed the project, and it's correct’. The designer responds, ‘We have it right; it’s poorly executed,’ and the only way to find out is to dig up the roof. However, by law, this must be carried out by the responsible party. This creates a legal problem, and often the investor cannot stand it and gives up on the complaint, costing them just more money," says Jan Jadrníček, managing director of Master Design.

You order design, project, and construction in one package

A less common way, largely because it requires a professional structure within the company - and especially a willingness to take on full responsibility - is turnkey construction using the Design and Build method. This means that one company designs, engineers, and also builds the house. One such company is Master Design studio, which has been building turnkey houses using the Design and Build method for over 10 years.

"At one point, we encountered that we had original designs, but we couldn't execute houses as we wanted. Meanwhile, we constantly had to negotiate with an external construction company, and it cost us a lot of time, not to mention the clients who were often really helpless," recalls Jadrníček.

Quality architecture and minimal time from you

Originally an architectural studio, Master Design specializes in modern houses. It offers the advantage of providing its clients with quality architectural designs that it can construct using the latest technologies and principles of modern building. Within a team of architects, designers, structural engineers, and other construction specialists, you can find a partner who will guide you throughout the construction process from design to handing over the keys.
The studio responded to the problems that arise within the structure of the construction system - the complexity of modern house projects, leading to the involvement of many professions in the process and the difficulty of enforcing obligations. Additionally, investors have little time, and even though they want a perfect house and have the money to invest in it, they lack the time.

What problems does turnkey construction using the Design and Build method solve?

There cannot be a situation where multiple companies share responsibility, shifting blame onto each other. As an investor, you purchase a package of services and deal with one company as the general contractor throughout the process. They are excellently oriented in the construction market and work with proven subcontractors. You sign a contract with a single party that assumes all responsibility. The chance of encountering poorly executed additional work logically decreases. You address everything with one person.

Leaving aside the time taken to obtain a building permit, you typically face the following: selecting an architect, then the designer, followed by the selection of a construction company or in the traditional model, individual professions. Subsequent disagreements among them can prolong the entire process by many months.
If you're not familiar with construction and would have to learn on the go, each step logically takes even longer, costing you a tremendous amount of personal time and effort. With the Design and Build approach, one company resolves everything for you. Because everything happens within the company's internal structure, designing often starts during the study, and building follows, leading to overlapping time periods. Theoretically, you can obtain the house really quickly.

For poor execution, one party is liable. It is very easy for you to complain about a mistake, as the company is obligated to correct the issue, including costs such as roof exposure. There cannot be a situation where two professions are arguing with each other, shifting blame.

The deadline in the case of Design and Build is contractually defined and must be adhered to. It often happens that the project submission deadline is moved due to waiting for project additions, waiting for material delivery, or other unmanageable reasons. If you have one project submission deadline in your contract from the company that designs and builds the house, this situation cannot arise.

Given that there are high demands in construction today for low energy consumption, the passivity of the house, the latest technologies, and material longevity, modern architecture is a complex discipline involving a huge number of specialists. Building a house is thus more demanding both in terms of craftsmanship and technological processes. Companies like Master Design are a welcome answer to many questions that prevent people from embarking on house construction and offer an alternative that results in original, modern houses meticulously constructed down to the last detail.